The highest of Hanif's Test centuries was a famous 337 made against West Indies in a six-day test at Bridgetown in 1957/58. After Pakistan found itself following on from a first-innings deficit of 473 runs on the afternoon of the third day, Hanif spent more than sixteen hours at the crease compiling his runs, allowing Pakistan to draw the game. It remains the longest innings in Test history (and stood as the longest in all first-class cricket for over 40 years). It is the only Test match instance of a triple century in a team's second innings. Displays such as this earned him the nickname "Little Master".[1]

In 1958/59, he surpassed Don Bradman's record for the highest individual first-class innings. Hanif made 499 before being run out attempting his five hundredth run; this mark stood for more than 35 years before being passed by Brian Lara in 1994. In all he made 55 first-class centuries and finished with a strong first-class career average of 52.32. He could bowl with either arm, and kept wicket on a number of occasions.

Hanif's career lasted until 1975/76, but he never played in the English County Championship, although he did have a single outing for the Northamptonshire Second XI in August 1965 whilst preparing for his appearance for a Rest of the World XI against England at the Scarborough Festival a few days later. Hanif was named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1968. In January 2009, Hanif was named along with two other Pakistani players, Imran Khan and Javed Miandad among the inaugural batch of 55 inductees into the ICC's Hall of Fame.

In a Test match against Australia, Hanif scored a century in the first innings. In the second innings he was wrongly given stumped out by Barry Jarman off the bowling of Tom Veivers for 93, just 7 runs shy of his second century in the Test. Hanif respected the umpire's decision. Later in a press conference Jarman admitted that Hanif was not out.

Family Members

Many of Hanif's brothers and son were also cricketers: his brothers Mushtaq, Sadiq and Wazir all played Tests for Pakistan, as did his son Shoaib, another brother Raees was once twelfth man for Pakistan, and four nephews had first-class careers. His mother Ameer Bee was a national badminton champion in pre-independence India.